Maternal & Childhealth Advocacy International (MCAI)

Founded in 1995 in response to the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Maternal & Childhealth Advocacy International (MCAI) is a UK-based medical charity with a 20-year track record of saving and improving the lives of babies, children, and pregnant women and adolescent girls in some of the world’s poorest and most troubled countries. MCAI has no political or religious affiliation and humanitarianism is at the heart of all that we do.

MCAI takes a unique approach to maternal and child health by combining our medical expertise of emergency hospital care with a health systems strengthening – approach, while advocating for effective change at a local, national, and international level. Read more about our approach >>

Mothers and babies at the clinic at Bamenda Hospital, Cameroon

We have much experience at working in countries affected by armed conflict, HIV, and malnutrition, and our expertise in these areas has helped to guide our work. MCAI’s work has often involved training health workers in emergency management of obstetric, paediatric, and neonatal care, renovating and refurbishing health facilities, and supplying medical equipment and medicines. From our experience in providing these components in different countries, we recognise that whilst providing some benefit, these individual elements would have most impact in improving the health of babies, children, and pregnant women if delivered together through a whole systems approach. So in 2003, our Strengthening Emergency Health Care Programme, which we run with our partner the Advanced Life Support Group (ALSG), became a key focus of our work. Read more about our work >>